Tema, July 3, GNA – Whereas elders of Tema are crying for sea defense protection against the tidal waves eroding the community at Tema Awudum coastline, some children in the area have rather turned their plight into an economic venture.
The children as young as eight years dangerously scavenge through the tidal waves for metals washed ashore.
A visit to the coastline by the Ghana News Agency at Tema uncovered that these children who are not afraid of the waves were spotted happily scavenging for all forms of metal scraps being washed ashore.
The Awudum coastline which stretches from the Canoe Basin, through the back of the Eastern Naval Base through to the Paradise Beach has some structures washed away while existing ones have their foundations giving way and hanging creating a slope.
Despite the dangerous nature of the environment, the children seem happily hunting for these metals which might have been dumped in the sea, but being rejected by nature and therefore washed ashore.
Most of the children told the GNA that the metals are sold out to scrape dealers, a business they described as lucrative, which has become the attraction for the kids to embarked on the dangerous sea metal hunting adventure along the Awudum coastline.
Tetteh, a 15-year-old Junior High School Form two pupil disclosed that they walk for hours at the coastline to pick the metal scraps which they sell to scraps buyers at a cost of GHC15.00 for one pound.
He said whenever they were tired they returned home and keep their collection safe, and return to collect more until they get enough to sell to make more money.
According to him, that was what he was using his vacation time for adding that when school was in session, he does the collection after closing in order not to truncate his education.
According to him, that was what he was using his vacation time for adding that when school was in session, he does the collection after closing in order not to truncate his education.
He added that he was using the proceeds of the scavenging to purchase materials to build a toy house.
When asked if his parents were aware of his adventure at the beach he gave a sheepish smile an indication they might not know.
Some of the children also disclosed that they sometimes go some metres into the sea with the aid of polystyrene popularly known as karko in Ghanaian parlance where they get more metal scraps.
GNA